In Brief
NO ARSON
Man cleared of starting Thessaloniki fire while using welding equipment Charges of arson against a 63-year-old man in Thessaloniki were dropped yesterday. It was claimed that he had accidentally set fire to neighboring land while welding. The fire burned 0.1 hectare of land that contained olive trees but the prosecutor recommended the suspect should be released as there was no intent on his part and the fire could not have been avoided. The 63-year-old injured his leg while trying to put out the fire with his son. GRIM DISCOVERIES Bodies found in Sounion, Aegean A coroner was yesterday called to Sounion, south of Athens, to examine a skeleton discovered on Wednesday evening amid the rocks near the Temple of Poseidon. The skeleton is believed to be that of a man. Meanwhile, coast guard officials recovered another corpse floating in the sea, between the islands of Myconos and Icaria. Again it was unclear whether it was the body of a man or woman. Creepy coffee Piraeus prefectural officials yesterday confiscated some 216 tons of Brazilian coffee from customs warehouses in the port, believed to be unfit for consumption. According to a report compiled by experts who examined several sacks of the product, the coffee contained live insects. Fool’s gold Two men have been arrested in Thessaloniki, police said yesterday, on suspicion of selling fake gold chains and bracelets. A 58-year-old jeweler and his 61-year-old accomplice sold items they imported from Italy that contained little or no gold. They have been charged with selling the products as 18-carat jewelry.
